AGP Video Card???

[eroz]

Ok I'm looking for an AGP Video Card. If I'm reading CPU-Z correctly, I have an AGP version 2.0 slot available w/ a transfer rate of 4x, max supported 4x. I want to make my computer Vista-able. I occassionally play games, CSI, SIMS, AOE III; I've been wanting to play Fables, but mostly I watch movies.

I found at Fry's 3D Fuzion GeForce FX5500 256MB 8x/4x AGP Video Card.
According to the specs it says

AGP 8X/4X/2X compatible.

I tried looking for a similar model at Newegg and found these:
eVGA 256-A8-N313-LX GeForce FX5500 256MB 128-bit DDR AGP 8X Video Card
Albatron FX5500EQ GeForce FX5500 256MB 128-bit DDR AGP 4X/8X Low Profile Video Card
CHAINTECH SA5200-256 GeForce FX5200 256MB 128-bit DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card
PNY VCGFX522APB GeForce FX5200 256MB 128-bit DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card

but all of those cards only say AGP 4X/8X or only AGP 8X. I'm not looking to spend too much money on this, around $80 or so. I will probably end up giving my computer away within the year to one of my nieces. So which card should I get? Or do you have any other suggestion/recommendation? Thanks.

1.) Motherboard - First International Computer, Inc. AM37
Chipset - VIA P4M266/KM266 (VT8375)

2.) Graphic Interface - Integrated 3D S3 ProSavage8

3.) Memory - 512MB, (just bought a 1GB stick, haven't installed it yet)

4.) CPU - AMD Athlon XP 2600+ (Thoroughbred - Socket A (462))

5.) CPU Speed - 2120 MHz

6.&7.) PSU - crappy eMachine original *edit* 250W *end edit* (I am looking for a 350W/400W)

8.) Chicagoland area.

 

[frus]

i think a radeon 9800 pro can do the job, u can find one on ebay at less than 70 bucks, it will outperform every geforce fx card

 

[tifc8lraz]

Look at the guide posted in my signature and check to see what your power supply is. Also note that the FX5500 is not good with newer games.

 

[sw123]

HERE'S A good card under $80, might play some games better.

 

[tifc8lraz]

He first needs to find out his power supply specifications though.

 

[eroz]

It came with a 250W PSU. I am going to replace it with a 350W or a 400W PSU.

HERE'S A good card under $80, might play some games better.

But it says it is 4x/8x, will it work with my motherboard which says it is AGP version 2.0? or is the important number that I should be looking at is transfer rate?

 

[eroz]

HERE'S A good card under $80, might play some games better.

I guess this is the card to go with. I'll probably go with the 256MB version.

 

[tifc8lraz]

It came with a 250W PSU. I am going to replace it with a 350W or a 400W PSU.


But it says it is 4x/8x, will it work with my motherboard which says it is AGP version 2.0? or is the important number that I should be looking at is transfer rate?

Yes, and the bandwidth, as you stated, is 4x, so it will be compatible as long as it has a powerful enough power supply.

 

[Tedster]

AGP 8x is backwards compatible, but it's not worth running Vista on such an old system. You have many other components that will cause Vista to run like a slug. Vista requires a MINIUM of 1gb of ram. Your processor is slow - it will handle Vista, but not that great. Vista is also graphics intensive and with a 4x card, you're gonna really bog down the OS. Furthermore, reports of VISTA say it generally runs slower than XP across the board. You'ld be better keeping XP. Vista is not worth the money and it is mostly bells and whistles. Also you're running an emachine - a total piece of crap. Read the CPU and chipset forum. We get TONS of emails about people with emachines that crap out. Replace your power supply if you intend on keeping your system. Emachine PSUs burn out and take the rest of the system along with it.

If you plan on spending more than $300 on your system, you'd be better off building an newer system.